Presented by Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, as part of their PD ExpertBriefings series.

Please Note: All Web Seminar times shown are Pacific Time. Please mark your calendar with your local time equivalent.

Do you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease? What comes next for you as a loved one and care partner? Find tips from a Parkinson's disease (PD) nurse specialist and a care partner during Parkinson's Disease Foundation's (PDF) annual PD ExpertBriefing in recognition of National Family Caregivers Month. This year's online seminar will focus on laying the groundwork for your care partnership within the first few years of diagnosis, so that you and your partner can prepare for the journey ahead.

Participants in this web seminar will:

Understand the common needs of care partners in the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease.

Review skills and resources helpful to care partners in early Parkinson’s Disease.

Explore practical suggestions, solutions and lessons learned by other PD care partners, which may help your partnership in the future.

Presenters:

Gwyn M. Vernon, M.S.N., R.N., C.R.N.P., is a certified registered nurse practitioner who has been caring for people living with Parkinson's disease since 1982. Ms. Vernon is the National Director of the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program, which she co-developed with Lisette Bunting-Perry, Ph.D., R.N. She served as faculty and a member of the planning committee for PDF's online educational course, Parkinson's Across the Lifespan: A Roadmap for Nurses. Ms. Vernon is one of the founding members of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Penn Medicine Neuroscience Center at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to direct patient care, she has served as coordinator of the center and clinical researcher in past years.

Rhona Johnson is a founding member of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation's People with Parkinson's Advisory Council. She was a care partner for her late husband, Bob, who lived with Parkinson's disease for ten years and died in December 2004. In October 2007, she was the first recipient of PDF's Award for Leadership in Caregiving. She authored PDF's fact sheet, The PD Partnership: Tips for People with PD and Their Care Partners. Ms. Johnson is a longtime spokesperson for care partners and has remained very active in the Parkinson's community. She and her husband worked together to explore resources to improve his quality of life. During their journey, they came to understand the power of giving and receiving support by joining support groups and interacting online with other people with Parkinson's and their care partners.

PLEASE NOTE: As this webinar is being hosted by the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, registration will be handled through their website.